Car-vestibule diaphragm.



. UNITED STATES ALIENT @EFFIQEQ EDWARD E. WHITIVIORE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CURTAIN SUPPLY COMPANY, OIE' NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEWJERSEY.

CAR-VESTIBULE DIAII-IRAGIVI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, 1914.

Application led January 12, 1914. Serial No. 811,519.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Monia, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Vestibule Diaphragms, of which the following is a specification.

In railway car construction, as is well known, the vestibules-of adjacent cars are closed in by A a flexible diaphragm arranged at the two sides of and above the platform, this diaphragm being of the accordion type and connected at one extremity to the end plate of its car and at the other extremity to the face plate which yieldingly bears against the face plate o-f the adjacent car of the train.

The diaphragm as an entirety has the form of an inverted U comprising a roof portion and side walls or legs. In connection with other features of car construction it is preferable that the lines defining the diaphragm above shall be substantially horizontal, but by reason of the fact that water is not readily shed by the flat roof of a diaphragm and consequently the moisture penetrates the seams and the material itself and thus causes rapid deterioration, it has been proposed to avoid this difficulty by forming the roof with a medium ridge from which the folds of the diaphragm provide channels extending with a decided pitch to both sides. VIt has kalso been suggested to arrange above a flat roof, a fly or hood theVK folds of which provide channels extending at a downward inclination from a median ridge. Neither of these expedients has been found to be entirely satisfactory if in either case the roof of the diaphragm, whether integral with the sides or separate therefrom as a hood, has the undesirable median ridge with channels defined above by laterally sloping lines.

The principal object of the present invention is therefore the improvement of the accordion type of diaphragm construction in such manner as to provide a roof portion the folds of which along their upper edges are defined by horizontal lines and the bottom or trough of which has a decided pitch from the median line toward each side. rI'he same object may be in a measure attained, though in a less advantageous way by applying to a fiat roof diaphragm of the ordinary type a supplemental roof in the form of a fly or Be it known that I, EDWARD E. IHIT-k hood having the improved characteristics above described, that is to say, with the upper portion of the folds horizontal while the bottoms or troughs of the fold have a lateral pitch.

In the carrying out of the inventive idea referred to I find it advantageous to employ that form of shoulder construction set forth in Patent No. 1,07 8,758 as it enables the eicient and economic use of diaphragm folds of the U-cross section, and as applied to a supplemental roof or hood', imparts thereto the desirable downward deliection at the sides which characterizes the hood construction of Patent No. 1,078,757.

In order that the invention and its manner of application may be readily understood ,the same is set forth in the accompanying drawing and in the description based thereon as embodiedin an integralvand also in a supplemental roofy for diaphragme. As,

for embodiment in other constructional forms the drawing and description are to be taken in an'illustrative and not inV an unnecessarily limiting sense.

In Vthe drawing-Figure 1 is a front elevation of such Ja diaphragm with the face plate' removed, Fig. 2 is aside elevation of theupper portion of a diaphragm embodying the invention; Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the upper p0r tion of a car diaphragm illustrating the invention as applied to a supplemental roof in the form of a hood; and Fig. 4 is a vert-ical transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. l j Y Having reference to Figs. l and 2 more particularly, the reference numeral 11 designaties the car end plate'between which and the diaphragm face plate V12 is arranged an accordion plaited diaphragm comprising in t-he present case two folds. The legs of the diaphragm indicated generally at 13 are connected above by a roof portion indicated at 14 and shoulder pieces 15. By reference to said Figs. 1 and 2 it will be seen that each fold of the roof port-ion 14 provides a channel 16 extending transversely from the median line of the roof, said channel being defined above by substantially horizontal lines formedby the meeting edges 17 of the folds, while the botto-m of troughs v18 of howeverh the invention is susceptible -of 'modification within wide range to adapt it said channels have a decided pitch laterally from the median line of the roof. It Will also be observed that the shoulder pieces l5 which are composed of similar folds form continuations of the channels 1G, the trough of each shoulder piece having a greater pitch than the trough 18 of the roof, While the said shoulder pieces are outwardly defined at 19 by curved lines forming a quadrant to which the outer lines of the roof and of the legs 13 are tangent, and the lower ends of the shoulder pieces being connected to the folds of the legs which form continuations thereof.

ln Figs. 3 and 4 the construction is substantially the same except that the invention is embodied in av supplemental roof superposed above a flat roof. Herein for purposes of illustration the diaphragm is shown as composed of legs 21, shoulder pieces 22, and a roof 23, the folds of which are of u cross-section as distinguished from the U cross-section. illustrated in Figs. l and 2. Above 'the roof 23 and shoulder pieces 22 the hood or supplemental roof is supported between retaining strips 24, 25, suitably secured to the end plate ll and the face plate l2. This supplemental roof is identical with the integral roof shoivn and described with reference to Figs. l and 2 possessing` the characteristic feature that the lines defining the upper edge of the' folds are horizontal while'the troughs of the same have a decided lateral pitch from the median line of the roof and are continued outwardly by the folds of the shoulder pieces which are defined outwardly by curved lines and the troughs of which have a greater pitch than the troughs of the roof folds. rIhe shoulder pieces forming the outer margins of the roof provide a terminal downward deflection Which gives the desired hooded effect so as to more effectively exclude the dust and einde 1s, as 1veli as gusts o-f air from entering beneath the hood and lodging upon the inner roof or by their violence turning the hood inside out, or tearing it from its fastenings.

By the invention as above described it will be observed that a roof is provided vhich has a decided pitch laterally from the median line and which at the same time preserves the horizontal lines extending transversely of the diaphragm roof so as to enable the employment of a flat topped diaphragm and yet provide for the efficient shedding of Water.

Another advantage' of the improved con struction is that the channels of the roof have a. cross sectional area progressively increasing from the median line toward the side and that the Walls of the folds forming such channel progressively increase in transverse dimensions at points more remote from said median line, thus increasing the capacity for expansion Where the' roof is an integral part of the diaphragm instead of being` supplemental thereto.

ln the operation of trains and particularly when rounding curves the diaphragm folds upon the outer side of the curve are expanded While those upon the inner side are contracted, the movement being analogous to that about vertical pivot arranged in the median plane of the diaphragm. rilpplicants construction, it Will be seen, provides for greater capacity of expansion in the roof portion adjacent the sides than at the center by employing folds the Walls of which have greater transverse dimenn sions at points more remote from the median line.

l claim:

l. A. car vestibule diaphragm of the accordion type .including a roof as an integral part thereof, the folds of which are defined above by lines having a substantially less pitch than the troughs of the folds, substantially as described.

A car vestibule ydiaphragm of the ac cordicn type including a roof as an integral part tl ereof, the folds of which are defined above by substantially horizontal lines With troughs having a lateral pitch from a median ridge, substantially as described.

il.. A car vestibule diaphragm of the accordion type including a roof as an integral part thereof, the folds of Which are of U- cross section and defined above by substantially horizontal lines Wit-h troughs having a lateral pitch from the median ridge, substantially as described.

4l. A car vestibule diaphragm of the accordion type including a roof as an integral part thereof, the folds of which form channels extending laterally froin the median line, said channels having a cross sectional area progressively increasing from said median line toward the sides, substantially as described.

A car vestibule diaphragm of the accordion type including a roof as an integral part thereof, the folds of which form channels extending laterally from the median line, the Walls of the channels progressively increasing in transverse dimensions at points more remote from said median line, substantially as described.

6. A car vestibule diaphragm of the accordion type including a roof as an integral part thereof, the folds of Which form channels eXtending laterally from the median line, the Walls of the channels progressively increasing in transverse dimensions at points more remote from said median line, the said channels defined above by substantially horizontal lines and their troughs having a lateral pitch, substantially as described.

7. A car vestibule diaphragm of the accordion type including a roof, the folds of which are defined above by lines having a substantially less pitch than the troughs of the folds, and shoulder pieces forming an outer continuation of the folds, the folds of the shoulder pieces having troughs of a greater pitch than the troughs of the roof folds, substantially as described.

8. A car vestibule diaphragm of the accordion type including a roof, the folds of which are defined above by lines having a substantially less pitch than the troughs of the folds, and shoulder pieces forming an outer continuation of the folds, the folds o-f the shoulder pieces having troughs of a greater pitch than the troughs of the roof folds, and outwardly dened by curved lines to Which the upper lines of the roof are tangent, substantially as described.

9. A car vestibule diaphragm of the accordion type including a roof, the folds of which are defined above by substantially horizontal lines With troughs having a lateral pitch from a median ridge, and shoulder pieces forming an outer continuation of the roof folds, the folds of the shoulder pieces having troughs of a greater pitch than the trough of the roof folds, substantially as described.

10. A car vestibule diaphragm of the accordion' type including a roof, the folds of which are defined above by substantially horizontal lines With troughs having a lateral pitch from a median ridge, and shoulder pieces forming an outer continuation of the roof folds, the folds of the shoulder pieces having troughs of a greater pitch than the trough of the roof folds, and outwardly defined by lines forming a quadrant to Which the outer lines of the roof and sides are tangent, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

EDARD WHITMORE.

Witnesses:

R. Si. REYNOLDS, GEO; REIDENBAOH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

